Marshmallows and Spies
by mandiesmk
Summary: Amanda and her family go on a camping trip and some unexpected visitors show up.


**Title**: Marshmallows and Spies

**Author**: Mandie

**Written**: January - August 2004

**Rating**: PG

**Archive**: smkfanfic, and SMK Utopia. Anywhere else, please ask. I'd be honored!

**Feedback**: Absolutely! Good or bad, I'd love to hear it.

**Timeline**: Late first season.

**Summary**: Amanda and her family go on a camping trip and some unexpected visitors show up.

**Disclaimer**: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is owned by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Enterprises Limited. This story is for entertainment purposes only and the author is not making any money from the use of the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes**: This was the very first fanfic I ever wrote, and it has been on my computer since January of 2004, over a year ago. I've been meaning to go over it again, but I don't have the time to do so, so I'm posting as it is. I did, however, go over it many a time before, so hopefully it's all okay! ;-) Being my first fanfic, this was at first a very pitiful piece of work, but after many long hours of rewriting and rewriting some more, I believe it has turned into a story that I can be proud of. Thanks so much to my betas Nectar and Ruth for helping me to get the kinks out of this story. I don't know what I would have done without both of your help. I can only imagine what a piece of junk this would have been! ;-) Any remaining errors are mine, and mine alone.

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**_Prologue _**

_Agent Scarecrow entered the office of William Melrose, where he had been called in for an early morning meeting involving a new case. Upon the agent's entrance Billy looked up from the piles of papers on his desk to greet the man. _

_"Morning, Lee," Billy welcomed him. "As I told you over the phone earlier, I have a new assignment for you." The older man stood, taking with him a folder from his desk, and walked around to where Lee Stetson sat. He perched himself on the edge of his desk and from the folder he extracted a picture, which he handed to Scarecrow. _

_"This man," the section chief informed Lee, "is Lucius Draken, also known as Louis Drake, or 'The Slaughterer'. He was spotted entering the country via Dulles late last night by airport security. He tends to deal in selling national secrets, but as his nickname implies, he will happily dispose of anyone who happens to get in his way." _

_Billy handed the thick folder to one of the Agency's best in exchange for the picture and Lee began to skim through the file's contents as Billy continued, "After we heard of his presence in D.C. we pulled everything we could find on Draken. We found that he's on the wanted lists of over twenty countries, for his business selling the countries' secrets and for the twenty-nine murders he has committed during this lifetime. We have reason to believe that he's gathering a group of his friends together as we speak, with the intention of selling information that is unknown to us to the highest bidder. This information is thought to have something to do with our new national defense plans, and it's not something we want being sold over the market." _

_Pointing toward the sheet of paper that Lee had just begun to skim, Billy told him, "That list contains the names of his known associates. Scarecrow, I need you to stop the selling of these secrets from happening and bring Draken in. He's been caught before, but has always slipped through his captors hands and has then disappeared for a long period of time before popping up again to sell more secrets. If we can pull any of his associates and friends in during the process of finding Draken, then let's do it. Stopping this meeting from taking place will make our section look very good, and not to mention get us on the good sides of the other governments that are after him as well. We also need to know where he's getting his information from. We obviously have a leak in our government, and we need to stop it up as soon as possible." _

_Lee nodded, and rose from his seat to begin his work. He turned back around when Billy began to speak to him again. _

_"Amanda will be coming in this morning. Have her help you with this case, Lee." _

_Lee rolled his eyes but did not argue, and then he left the office. Billy returned to the seat behind his desk and moved aside the photo that had been carelessly dropped there and continued with his work. _

_The photograph showed an average, middle age, American born, blond man. The only unusual thing about this man was his cold, steel gray eyes. They were emotionless and did little to reveal his true identity as a cold blooded killer and a deceiver of his country. _

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part One **

**Early Friday - Three Weeks Later **

"Case completed!" Lee Stetson announced as he slammed his pencil down on his desk in the bullpen. "I didn't think we'd ever get this Draken thing wrapped up. Three long weeks of trailing the man all over D.C.," Lee shook his head. "Billy was right when he told me that Draken was a slippery one."

"Uh huh," replied his civilian help Amanda King with a nod. "I think we did a good job, Lee."

Lee looked up at her in surprise. "We? Oh, Amanda," he scoffed as he stood up from the chair he had occupied for the past few hours to stretch his stiff legs. "Me! It was me who did most of the work for this case! You weren't even my idea. Keep in mind that it was Billy who threw us together!"

"Oh please," Lee heard Amanda grumble under her breath. "I helped and he knows it."

Lee could tell Amanda was angry with him, and he couldn't exactly blame her. He wasn't even sure why he was being so much of a jerk to her, even more so than usual. He watched her grab her coat and then say, "It's late. I should be going."

"You're right, it has to be almost midnight . . ." He trailed off as he checked his watch. "Three o'clock in the morning! What the . . . ?" Lee took a quick once-over of the bullpen. With the exception of the night guards at their post, the area was deserted. He suddenly felt very tired and worn out from the day's work and attributed his earlier cruelness towards Amanda to this lack of sleep. "I, uh, guess I'll see you later today, Amanda."

"Oh!" Amanda exclaimed in surprise. "I guess Mr. Melrose didn't tell you, did he? Well, of course he didn't, you didn't know-"

"Amanda . . ." Lee interrupted her with a moan as he reached up to rub his throbbing temples. "I can't stand your rambles in the best of times, so I definitely can't handle them at three o'clock in the morning!"

"Gosh, Lee, I'm sorry!" Lee looked over to find Amanda glaring at him with her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. "I'm tired too, you know?"

"Okay, okay!" Lee again grew frustrated and threw his arms up in the air, glaring back at Amanda. With Amanda looking at him with murder in her eyes and he doing the same, Lee once more felt guilty for taking his bad mood out on her. "I'm sorry, Amanda. We're both tired. Will you tell me what's going on, or do I have to stand here all night?"

Lee watched in relief as Amanda's eyes softened, her anger appearing to have been instantly forgotten. "I'm taking the day off so the boys and I can go on a three-day weekend camping trip," she explained, moving towards the doors to leave. "I've just been so busy working with you here at the Agency, that I haven't spent any time with them lately."

Lee was about to call a goodbye to her as she reached the bullpen doors, when Amanda abruptly came to a halt and stood still for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. She then walked back towards him and he furrowed his brow in curiosity.

"Lee," Amanda began, "I was just thinking about the Draken case, and it doesn't seem to me that we've wrapped up everything yet. I have this feeling that we're still missing something."

Lee looked at her in puzzlement, not understanding what could possibly be wrong with the conclusion to the case. They had captured the man in charge, just as had been asked of them, so what could possibly be wrong?

"I know what it was! Billy told us that Draken had an information broker. Didn't we ever find him? What if he's on the inside and could help Draken get out?" Amanda questioned Lee.

"I don't know," Lee said with a yawn, too tired to really listen or care any more about what she was saying, her feelings be damned. "If there's something wrong we'll probably get it out of him when we interrogate him tomorrow."

"I guess," Amanda said, seemingly unconvinced. "But what if-"

Lee once again interrupted her, this time by saying, "Amanda, its fine, all right? We've got it under control, and if Draken's going to try and escape, he'll have to get past the guards around his cell. If something's really wrong I'm sure it can wait until morning. Now let's both just go home and get some much needed rest."

"I guess you're right, Lee. It's probably just my overactive imagination, running away again," Amanda said in a tone that, to Lee, sounded somewhat sarcastic. "I think I'm just looking for something that isn't really there, and oh my gosh, I really should go if we're going to leave on our trip today. I'm going to need any and all of the sleep I can get! I'll see you Monday, Lee!"

Lee could only stare, momentarily dumbfounded from Amanda's ramble. After she had grabbed her purse and rushed out of the office, Lee began to laugh. No matter how many times he heard it, he was always amazed that someone could say so many words at once without even taking a breath. He unexpectedly stopped laughing and pondered for a moment what Amanda had said. He wondered if the unknown source could be a threat to them as Amanda seemed to believe. Lee waved away the thought, too exhausted to be bothered by the nagging feeling that she was right.

By the time Lee had finished going over these thoughts in his mind, Amanda was gone. Lee realized he hadn't even asked her where she and the boys were going.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

After returning from the Agency Lee hit the sack. He fell asleep almost immediately and planned on sleeping until at least nine that morning.

Several hours later, Lee was woken up by the insistent ringing of the telephone, coming from the direction of his nightstand. Adjusting his eyes to the lack of light in his room, he took a quick glance at his alarm clock.

"Six in the morning? I just got to sleep!" he grumbled as he reached for the ever-ringing telephone. "Just hold your horses will ya?" He had the feeling that his plans for sleeping in had just been destroyed.

"Stetson," Lee said sharply into the phone.

Over the line came the crisp voice of his boss. "Lee, I need you down here at the Agency ASAP. I can't discuss the specifics over an unsecured line."

"Aw, Billy, I just got in from the office a few hours ago after spending the better part of my sleeping hours finishing up paperwork for the Draken Case!" Lee's voice increased in volume as he ran his fingers through his brown hair in aggravation.

"You can sleep after you complete what needs to be done. Right now I want you here, and I wanted you here three hours ago!"

Lee gave of a snort of disbelief. "Well I was there three hours ago. Where were you?"

"Scarecrow, I am reaching the end my temper here," Billy Melrose said in an 'all too calm' voice that told Lee that his supervisor was not exaggerating about his temper. "Stop arguing with me and get over here."

"All right, all right. I get the picture," Lee grumbled. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he said and then hung up the phone. Jumping reluctantly out of bed, Lee moved over to his closet. He deftly grabbed articles of clothing from the hangers and pulled them on.

Leaving his room, Lee took one last wistful glance at his bed. "Don't worry, I'll be back and then I'm going to sleep for a good, long time." Lee shook his head, the longing for sleep evident in his features. "Boy does Billy owe me big for this one!"

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**Part Two **

Amanda stood at the base of the stairs in her Arlington home and hollered up to the second floor, "Fellas, time to get up and eat so we can go camping!" She walked back into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast for Phillip and Jamie, who would soon be gracing her with their presence.

Dotty West shuffled into the kitchen wearing her bathrobe. "Amanda, darling, do you think you could get me a cup of coffee?" she asked with a yawn, taking a seat at the counter on one of the barstools.

"Sure, Mother," Amanda replied. After filling up a mug, she handed the steaming hot drink to Dotty and then turned back to the stove where she was making eggs and pancakes.

Dotty sat in silence for a few minutes, just sipping her coffee. Amanda, noticing the lack of conversation from her normally talkative mother, turned to face her. "Mother," Amanda questioned inquisitively, "What is it?"

Dotty turned to face her and asked, "Amanda, dear, at exactly what time did you come home last night? I waited until almost midnight and you never came. I finally gave up and went to bed because I realize that it's none of my business where you are or when you come home, but, darling, I was worried about you! You really should call when you're going to be out so late."

Amanda gave her mother a guilty look as she flipped the eggs over. "I think I got home at around three-fifteen. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting up for me."

Dotty replied, "You know, darling, I wasn't the only one who was worried. Dean called quite a few times. He's such a sensitive soul; so caring. If I was only twenty years younger, I might marry him myself!"

"Mother!" Amanda gasped, stopping what she was doing to stare with wide eyes at Dotty, appalled that she would even think such a thing.

"Darling, I was only joking," Dotty reassured her, appearing to Amanda to being only half serious. "Anyway, about last night. I, of course, assumed that you were with Dean, but when he called wanting to speak to you, I knew that couldn't be so." Having drained her coffee mug, Dotty stood up and poured herself some more. Halfway through filling up the cup with the black liquid she turned and looked at Amanda.

"Speaking of which, Amanda, where were you last night?" Dotty asked, raising her curiously. "I don't believe you ever did tell me." Dotty leaned against the counter and took a sip out of her half-full coffee mug.

"Oh." Amanda paused, "I was . . . at one of my pet sitting clients' houses."

"Oh. I see." Dotty chuckled. "You're always so dedicated to your work, you know that Amanda? I always knew I raised a wonderful little girl." Dotty headed towards the stairs. "I'm going to go get myself ready for the day. I'll check on the boys to make sure they're okay while I'm up there. I haven't heard one peep out of them for a while and that always worries me!"

Amanda laughed at her words. "Thanks, Mother."

"Of course, darling." Halfway up the stairs Dotty turned around and walked back down. "Amanda, you said you were at one of your clients' houses?"

After setting two plates of food on the table, one for Phillip and the other for Jamie, Amanda turned to face her mother. "Yes. Why do you ask that?"

"At three in the morning?" Dotty questioned, sounding suspicious.

"Uh," Amanda searched her mind for a reply, her usual chatter failing her. "I was checking on their house, you know, while they were away, and I noticed their cat was sick. He was throwing up hairballs, so I stayed to make sure he was all right." Amanda fibbed.

"That's nice, dear." Dotty resumed her trek up the stairs. She stopped for a second time midway and turned to face her daughter. "Hairballs you say?"

"Yes, Mother." Amanda decided to try to change the subject since she had successfully managed to fib her way out of yet another predicament. "You know, I think checking on the boys would really be an excellent idea. How about I go do that?"

Amanda quickly escaped her mother's probing stare and hurried up the stairs past her. 'That was a close one,' she thought to herself as she neared the boys' room.

As she was about to enter the room, she heard Dotty say something to herself aloud, causing Amanda to smile, "Just what is going on with that girl? Oh well, I'm her mother. She can't possibly keep a secret from me for too long!"

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

"Password, Mr. Stetson," droned the voice of Mrs. Marston from behind her desk located in the foyer of the Agency. Her job was to check everyone before they entered the heart of the building, and it was known very well to Lee that is was a job that she didn't take lightly.

"The password is Boy Scouts," Lee automatically responded in a weary voice.

Mrs. Marston handed him his badge, which had been lying on her desk. "Have a nice day, Mr. Stetson."

Without a word of reply Lee grabbed the badge, stepping onto the waiting elevator as he clipped it to his jacket. 'Who comes up with these passwords anyway?' he grumbled to himself as he pressed the down button and the doors slid smoothly shut. 'Whoever these people are they have been spending just a little bit too much time with Amanda.' Smiling dryly at his half-hearted joke he continued his complaints. 'Last week the password was Little League, now it's Boy Scouts.'

The elevator stopped on the floor on which the bullpen was located and the doors opened. Lee stepped off the elevator and began walking down the hall. His coworker Francine Desmond fell into step beside him.

"So I hear our Lady of Suburbia won't be coming in today. What is it, a PTA meeting or is she helping out with the carpool? Oh, I know, she's helping out with those little scouts!" Francine said with a smirk. "Such a shame." She shook her blond head.

"Hello to you too, Francine," Lee returned her smirk as they arrived at the bullpen doors. "Already cracking jokes at seven in the morning I see. You seem to be in a cheery mood."

"Someone has to brighten up the office this early in the day, especially when we're lacking a certain perky civilian." Francine shot back.

Lee shot Francine an amused grin as they arrived at the door to Billy's office. "You know, I'd ask you why you were so cheerful this morning, too, but you just don't seem to be," Francine said with a simper. "Tell Billy I have to go get some reports from Legal and that I'll be in there shortly." Without another word Francine turned on her heel and left Lee standing alone by the door.

Lee glared at her retreating figure. "Women," he griped as he pushed open the door to William Melrose's office.

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"Mother, are you sure," Amanda asked as she heaved the trunk of the station wagon closed and turned to face an amused Dotty, "that you don't want to come with us?"

"Let me think about that for a second," Dotty mused. "Sleeping on the ground, cooking on a campfire, being eaten to death by mosquitoes? Thank you, darling, but I'll have to pass!" She said with a laugh. "No, you just have all that fun without me. Besides, I have a date tonight with that lovely Mr. Roberts," Dotty sighed happily.

"All right then, if you're sure," Amanda said with a roll of her eyes. She and Dotty walked up the sidewalk and entered the house just as the phone began to ring.

"I'll go get that," Dotty said as she scurried away.

Amanda went upstairs to check on her sons, who were doing a bit of last minute packing. By the time she had rounded them both up and sent the two to the car parked in the driveway, Dotty was off the phone and, looking dejected, sitting at the kitchen counter.

"Are you all right, Mother?" Amanda asked with motherly worry in her voice.

"I'm fine, darling," Dotty said with a sigh. "That was Tim Roberts on the phone and it seems he made other plans for tonight."

"Oh, Mother! That's terrible! I'm so sorry," Amanda said with concern. "Will you be all right?"

"Yes, darling, I'll be fine," Dotty said with another long sigh. "Now that I don't have any plans for this evening I think I'll go camping with the three of you after all. Just give me a few minutes to pack." Dotty began moving towards the stairs. "It is all right if I come along, isn't it?"

"Of course it is, Mother!" Amanda said, shocked that her mother could even think that she wasn't welcome.

Ten minutes later Amanda and Dotty went back out to the car where the two boys were seated and impatiently waiting to leave.

Amanda opened the driver's door and was greeted by the sound of her sons quarrelling over who got to use which sleeping bag. Rolling her eyes at Dotty, who was already settled into her seat and buckled up for the drive, Amanda slid behind the steering wheel. She buckled her seat belt, settling in for a long trip that was sure to be full of arguments and bathroom stops. With a smile, Amanda started the engine and they pulled away from the curb.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Three **

"So, Billy, what's up?" Lee questioned his boss impatiently as he entered the office and took a seat.

"Good morning to you too, Lee!" Billy said with a smile.

"Good morning's an oxymoron," Lee grunted. "I had to get out of bed early for this, so let's get on with it!"

Billy sighed deeply. "Early this morning Draken escaped from prison."

"Damn!" While Billy had laid out the problem, Lee's eyes had widened in horror at the thought of this extremely dangerous man, who he had put in jail himself only a few hours before, out on the streets. Lee abruptly jumped up to pace the floor in anger. Whirling around to face Billy he asked edgily, "How did he get out? He was supposed to be in a maximum security cell!"

"A security guard, arriving to start his morning shift, found Draken's two guards drugged and unconscious," Billy responded.

"How the hell did he get possession of any drugs? They were supposed to search him for stuff like that when I brought him in!"

Lee followed Billy with his eyes as his supervisor sighed and walked around his desk to sit in the chair behind it. He said quietly, "He obviously had a little help. The most likely scenario is that someone inside did the dirty work for him."

"Unless . . ." Lee said thoughtfully, taking his seat, "Unless Amanda was right and it was his source!" Meeting Billy's questioning gaze Lee explained, "Amanda told me earlier that she didn't feel we'd quite wrapped up the case yet, that we'd forgotten one major player in the game. We never found Draken's information broker, and to know anything worth Draken going to all these measures for, he or she must be pretty high up in the government. I brushed it aside earlier, but maybe Amanda's on to something." Lee snapped his fingers, "I've got it! Whoever got him out must have been caught on one of the security cameras."

Billy shook his head and Lee's face fell, "I'm afraid this person was smarter than that. The tapes from the cameras that would have filmed the escape were stolen."

Frustrated, Lee resumed his pacing of the small office.

"Damn it!" Billy growled, "Scarecrow, you know how dangerous this man is. We need to catch him!"

"Where do you think he may have gone?" Lee inquired, still moving furiously around the room.

"I don't have the slightest idea," Billy replied. "Actually, I was hoping you might have some thoughts on the matter, since you've been following him for three weeks. We seem to be at a dead end, but we have men out there looking for him or anyone who knows where he could be. We assume Draken will be again rounding up some associates of his in the attempt to have another meeting to sell whatever it is that he has on the market."

Lee nodded, took a deep breath to calm his emotions, and sat back down in the seat he had recently vacated. "I'll call some of my family, see if they know anything. Other than that, I don't know what else we can do. If only it hadn't been so late when we brought him in last night. We could have grilled him for information."

"Well-" Billy began before he was interrupted by the telephone ringing. " Melrose. Yes. Put him through. He's right here." Lee grabbed the phone that Billy held out to him. "It's for you. One of your contacts."

"Scarecrow," Lee said into the phone. "What have you got, Augie? Yes. Uh-huh." He listened for a few minutes and then gave Billy a thumbs-up. "No, that's good enough, Augie. No, you did the right thing in telling me. Yes, I'm sure there'll be something in it for you," Lee said rolling his eyes at his greedy contact. "Thanks, Augie." Lee hung up the phone. "That was Augie Swann," Lee informed Billy. "He said that he heard through the grapevine that a certain Lucius Draken is gathering those interested in purchasing his information and is holding the meeting in the deep woods of Virginia at ten tonight," he grinned.

"I'll get Francine to help you round up a team," Billy said, picking up the telephone. "Speaking of Francine, where is she?"

"Oh, I was supposed to tell you that she went to Legal to pick up some papers. You'd think she would've been back by now, though. She probably got caught up in a conversation with one of those good looking guys down there."

At the disgusted look on Billy's face Lee added, "Her words, not mine," with a grin as he walked into the activity filled bullpen to grab a cup of coffee. Lee knew full well that he wouldn't be able to survive the day without at least five servings of the caffeine filled drink.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Four **

"Mom, are we there yet?" Jamie whined. Amanda could tell that the two boys were becoming restless from sitting in the car without anything to do.

"Hey worm brain, would you like a little cheese with your whine?" Phillip asked his brother.

In the rearview mirror Amanda saw Jamie looking at Phillip in a way that one might look at someone who had suddenly sprouted two additional heads. "What?" the younger boy questioned.

"Never mind, dufus. You wouldn't get it anyway."

"I would too!" Jamie shouted at his brother. "Wouldn't I Mom?"

"I'm sure you would, sweetheart. Phillip, stop calling your brother names, and the two of you please stop fighting, all right?" Amanda looked over her shoulder at her sons sitting in the seat behind her and, then she glanced at the passenger's seat. She had been hoping for a little support from Dotty, but her mother seemed lost in thought.

"Mother," Amanda gently touched her arm, startling her out of her daze. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, love. I was just thinking, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Amanda was not convinced, but decided to let her mother be. To the boys in the backseat she said, "How about for the rest of the ride we have some silence. We should be there in about ten minutes and then you fellas can be as loud as you please."

Amanda smiled at how Jamie and Phillip perked up at the thought of being able to get out of the car, and she was pleased when they quickly quieted down. For the next ten minutes there was complete silence as the boys earnestly watched out the windows at the passing trees.

Jamie spotted their destination first and proudly proclaimed the news to all in the car. Amanda pulled their vehicle into a spot on the side of the narrow, gravel road and the boys poured out with all of their pent-up energy.

"All right, fellas, let's get all of our stuff out of the trunk and find a place to camp." The boys eagerly grabbed bags and ran down to what they called 'the best camping spot ever.'

Half an hour later their things had been set up and Amanda had sent the boys off looking for firewood for their campfire. She and Dotty began setting out things for lunch, and Amanda's thoughts strayed back to what she had told Lee earlier that day about Draken. Shrugging her shoulders she thought to herself, 'If there's a problem, I'm sure Lee can handle it. Besides, out here in the woods, the four of us won't be in any danger.'

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

Lee sat at the head of a long table in a conference room at the Agency, and quickly surveyed the team he had assembled for the assignment. To his left sat Agents Trevor Jones and Greg Thomas, and sitting across from them and to Lee's right were Lindsay Zachary and Jonathon Gibson. The four were some of the Agency's best and they had all played a role in capturing Draken before. He could only hope that they'd be as successful this time as they were previously.

Calling the meeting to order, Lee explained the situation and told them what they would need to do to make the operation run smoothly. "Gibson, you'll be staying here at the Agency and will be in communication with us concerning any new developments. The rest of us will be going to the approximate location of the meeting. We'll need to scout the area and look out for any campers that may potentially complicate things. We are still relatively uninformed about this and need any other information we can get. Gibson, I'll have a radio on me at all times so you'll be able to get in contact us. Last, but certainly not least, Lindsay," Lee flashed the attractive redhead a grin, "I need you to get everything together that we're going to need for this little jaunt."

Lee stood up from his seat at the head of the table and surveyed his agents. "I think that's everything. Right now I need all of you to get in touch with your contacts, or anyone who may have something interesting to tell us, and find out anything else you can about Draken's location. Remember, we are dealing with some potentially dangerous men, so everyone needs to be on their toes. We need to be at the site at seven tonight, and we'll leave here at about five. That should give us enough time to do what we need to do." Taking a quick glance at his watch, Lee noted the time. "That is precisely six hours from now. Let's get to work, people. Meeting dismissed."

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

_The five agents left the conference room, and four innocently left to tend to their duties. The fifth left the bullpen and got on the elevator, heading up to the Georgetown foyer. The agent nodded politely to Mrs. Marston while passing by her, and then walked out the door, got in their car, and pulled away from 'International Federal Film'. _

_Five minutes later the operative arrived at a small park and left their car. The agent walked down a paved path to a park bench, where a man sat waiting for their arrival. _

_"Are they looking for me, Zerov?" he asked with a laugh. _

_The agent looked toward him and nodded. "Scarecrow knows of your meeting and is planning to stake it out with two others, plus myself, and bring you back in." _

_"Good, good," the blond man said evilly. "It's all working according to plan. Scarecrow tried to ruin me before, but he won't succeed this time. I think I'd make a nice little profit that would easily set my retirement plans in motion if I sold him and his other agents as well as the plans." _

_The man turned his gray eyes toward his companion and said with warning in his voice, "Make sure nothing goes wrong. Scarecrow will pay for his persistence and will find that I don't easily back down. Just remember, if anything goes wrong, Zerov, you'll pay the consequences. I'm depending on you to bring him to me." _

_"There's nothing to worry about," the agent assured him. "There will only be the three of them, and they'll be no match for you without their backup." _

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

Lee and the other three agents arrived later that evening at their destination in the woods. Lee instructed Thomas to park the van they had been traveling in behind a cluster of trees, about a mile away from the estimated location. Lee and his agents would trek the remaining distance. Lee explained, "We don't want anyone to notice the cars and decide it might be too risky."

As they walked, Lee saw Jones shoot him a knowing looking and walk farther ahead with Thomas, leaving him alone with Lindsay. Engrossed in his thoughts of catching Draken, Lee was surprised when Lindsay carefully slid her hand into his bigger one and gave him a sweet smile. "You're awfully brave you know, going into the face of danger like this."

Lee grinned back at her, enjoying the attention and the company for the remaining journey through the woods.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Five **

"You sure this is the place?" Thomas asked Lee.

"Gibson said this was the general location. He and Francine have been talking to people and digging through files for the past several hours and this is what they came up with. Fits the description Augie gave me," Lee told him.

"What was that?" Jones inquired.

"Dark and mysterious," Lee answered with a shrug. "It's the perfect place for a secret meeting."

"Well, let's set up our stuff then," Lee continued. He supervised, giving instructions as the other three agents got to work pulling out equipment and setting up for the stakeout. He checked his gun to be sure it was loaded and then searched for the radio he had put in his bag earlier.

"Damn!" Lee growled, still anxiously searching through his pack. He looked up to see the others looking at him curiously, having finished their tasks already. "I can't find my two-way radio, but I could have sworn I put it in here. Maybe I should go back to the van and look for it."

"I'm sure we'll be fine without it," he was assured by Lindsay. "This seems like a 'by-the-book' kind of thing anyway."

Not wanting to waste precious time, Lee reluctantly agreed and moved on to what they should do next. "Lindsay, I'd like you to watch our stuff and look out for any suspicious activity here. Jones, Thomas, we'll look around to make sure we have a good idea of the layout of the land," Lee decided. "Do you all have your guns loaded in case we have any unexpected visitors?

Pleased when everyone nodded positively, the seasoned agent continued. "Thomas, you and Jones will go that way," he pointed off to the right of their position, "and I will go that way," Lee said, pointing the opposite way. "We only have about an hour of daylight left, so let's be back here soon."

The three agents agreed to the plan and began go in their assigned directions.

"We should be back here soon, Lindsay. Watch out for yourself," Lee said with a final squeeze of her hand.

As Lee wandered through the woods he thought about Lindsay. 'Maybe Cindi and I will have to break things off and I could get together with Lindsay.' It was definitely an idea to consider, he contemplated with a smile as he continued through the densely populated trees.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

After finishing lunch earlier that day, Amanda led the boys and her mother on a hike through the woods. They had returned to their camp and all had taken a nap after the tiring walk through the midday sun. Soon Amanda was pestered by the boys for supper, and they soon persuaded her to make them food.

Amanda sat with her family around the fire that she had built and ate a supper of hot dogs and beans. Phillip and Jamie chattered about their friends, Little League, and the Junior Trailblazers, while their Amanda listened intently.

"Mom, could I go to Jimmy's house next weekend to spend the night?" Phillip asked excitedly.

"Did he ask you, or are you inviting yourself?" Amanda asked with an amused smile.

"His parents said it was okay," he continued, apparently choosing to ignore Amanda's question.

"We'll see, sweetheart." Amanda replied with another smile.

After cleaning up the remains of the meal, the boys settled in to play the card game War with Dotty, while Amanda pulled out a romantic novel that she had began reading. She quickly lost herself in the sequel to a book she had previously read about Victoria Greenwich. Amanda was so caught up in her reading that two hours passed before she noticed the late hour.

With a yawn, Amanda addressed Phillip and Jamie. "Fellas, its nine o'clock and we've had a busy day. How about we call it a night?"

To Amanda's pleasure the boys, looking very tired themselves, agreed to the suggestion. Amanda and Dotty turned around, as Phillip and Jamie requested, while the two boys changed. Amanda tucked them in, something she found herself doing less and less often and kissed them each goodnight. Soon after, Dotty, who had seemed very withdrawn that night, also went to bed.

"Good night, Mother," Amanda whispered so as not to disturb her sons.

"Night, darling," came Dotty's reply.

Fifteen minutes later Amanda knew they had all fallen asleep when she could hear their even breathing. Finding herself at a good point in the book, she decided to read a few more pages. She sat contently for a few minutes until she heard a strange noise coming from the bushes directly behind her.

Amanda slowly turned around, but saw nothing because beyond where the firelight reached was pitch blackness. Suddenly feeling nervous and chilly, Amanda tugged the blanket she had draped across her legs tightly around her body. The noise had sounded like a person stepping on a branch. She had assumed that she was safe in the woods, but maybe she had been wrong.

'There could be murderers and criminals out here,' she thought to herself. 'Or there could be- stop it, Amanda,' she interrupted her own thoughts. 'I'm sure there's nothing to be afraid of.'

Taking a deep breath Amanda stood up. "I'll just take a look," she told herself aloud. "I'm sure there's nothing to be afraid of," she repeated. She took a step in the direction in which the noise had come from, then turned around toward her sleeping mother and sons. Seeing that they were still sound asleep, Amanda twisted back around to face the gloomy woods.

Amanda closed her eyes briefly to calm herself. She opened them and stared intently at the bush that she thought the noise had come from. Was it moving, or was her mind playing tricks on her? Taking one more deep breath, she stepped up to the plants and reached out her hand. Without pausing she bravely pushed back the shrubs to reveal two surprised hazel eyes staring back at her.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

Lee lunged from the bushes and swiftly placed his hand over the mouth of the woman who had discovered him before she could utter a noise. She wriggled in his arms and he almost lost his grip on her when he felt her bite down hard on his hand. Ignoring the pain, Lee tightened his hold and took a good look at the woman for the first time.

Realizing who she was, he whispered loudly, "Amanda? What are you doing here?" Noticing that she couldn't talk even if she wanted to, Lee said quietly, "It's me, Lee. I'm going to take my hand off now, so please don't scream."

Amanda nodded and after he removed his hand she asked him accusingly, "Lee, what were you doing in those bushes?" Lee felt his arm being pushed away and could tell she hadn't yet calmed down from the fright of finding him hiding in the bushes.

"Amanda, I'm sorry I scared you. I . . ." Lee trailed off when he noticed Amanda's family for the first time, all of them still sleeping soundly near the fire, which was slowly dying out.

"Oh!" Amanda said, suddenly seeming to remember where they were. "Why don't we go sit over here so we don't disturb them?" she suggested, as she pointed over to the far end of the clearing. Lee agreed and they went over and sat down on a log.

"Sure is a good thing they were asleep!" Lee said with a chuckle.

Amanda, who Lee could tell was not seeing the humor in the situation, just glared at him. "Lee, what are you doing here? Are we in danger? I mean, I assume you're on a case since you aren't exactly the camping type."

Lee ignored her questions and leaned forward so she would hear his whispered explanation. "Amanda, I know you want me to leave right now, but I need to talk to you about the assignment I'm on."

"Lee, I'm on vacation. I can't help you," Amanda insisted.

"I don't need your help," Lee told her, to Amanda's obvious disgust. He pretended not to take notice of the look on her face and went on, "I just want to warn you that I, along with several other agents, am here on a case. You know the Draken assignment that I just finished?"

"Of course I do, Lee! I did help you with it."

"Well, this is a continuation of that case. It turns out that you were right on the money with your thinking. Draken's unknown source helped him to escape from prison early this morning."

"Oh my gosh!" Amanda exclaimed with worry, but also appearing pleased by his praise. A look of confusion crossed over her face and she asked, "But why are you here?"

"Draken arranged another meeting to sell the secrets like he had planned on originally. His little get-together is supposed to take place somewhere in these woods."

Amanda gasped, "Draken in these woods? Will we be in any danger? Should we leave? Are we-"

"Amanda," Lee impatiently interrupted her. "No, you shouldn't be in any danger. We'll be a little ways away from here and with any luck we'll be able to catch them silently and quickly. We don't want to cause a commotion in case there are others camping around here."

"Oh my gosh!" Amanda exclaimed again. "So what are you going to do?" She leaned forward in anticipation.

"We're going to catch the bad guys," Lee said. "Come on Amanda, you know we're going to do the best we can to catch Draken. And you won't need to worry about your safety or that of your family. The four of you will be one of my top priorities so there's no need to worry."

Amanda sighed, showing her obvious relief. "Thank you, Lee," she said softly, staring up at him. Her brown eyes twinkled in the dying light from the campfire and seemed to look right into his soul.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Six **

Lindsay sat on the ground near the fire she had built as darkness had fallen and looked up when Thomas and Jones pushed through the bushes. They took a seat on the blankets Lindsay had laid out and Thomas asked her in surprise, "Lee's not back yet?"

"No, he isn't," she replied, putting on a fake mask of worry. "I was hoping he was with the two of you. He should have been back by now." Lindsay shivered in the cool night air for effect and glanced around at the darkening woods. The daytime noises had been replaced by the sounds of: owls hooting and crickets chirping. The hour drew nearer to the time when the meeting was to take place.

"I'm sure he's fine," Jones assured her. "If something happened, he would have put up a fight and we would have surely heard it. Remember, this is the mighty Scarecrow we're talking about here," he said to her with a smile. Lindsay did not return the kind gesture.

Lindsay listened as the two male agents spoke between themselves, but she soon stopped listening as she anticipated the Draken's arrival. She was oblivious to anything around her until she heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Lindsay was just as surprised as the other two at the sudden noise.

"Quick!" Jones whispered urgently. "Put out the fire!"

Lindsay stayed seated, but watched as Thomas obeyed and leapt toward the flames with fistfuls of sand as Jones grabbed several bottles of water, dumping them on the fire. A moment later Lindsay watched as they plopped back down in the darkness as the fire died out. Lindsay remained silent, as did the other two, for a time, straining to hear the footsteps again. Soon she could hear the sound of voices carrying through the still night air.

"Are we near the site of the meet, Smith?" a low voice that Lindsay instantly recognized asked.

"Almost, Mr. Draken, sir," the voice Lindsay presumed to be Smith answered.

"Good." Lindsay barely made out the growl of the first voice.

She could hear the voices of others in the distance, and they grew louder as their sources came closer.

Lindsay, still wanting to put on the good agent act, exchanged glances with Jones and Thomas in the darkness and nodded to them. She wanted them to know that these were the men they had been waiting for.

Lindsay glanced at the light-up watch on her wrist and frantically noted that it read 9:54 PM. She hoped that Lee would be back soon. If she couldn't find him, she knew she would be in trouble. She would then be forced to find another way to lure Scarecrow into Draken's grasp.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

Lee took a quick look at his watch, and Amanda saw irritation in his eyes. "Damn it!" he growled loud enough that she could hear his curse. "I knew I should have bought that light-up watch."

"What's wrong?" Amanda asked in concern.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said. "It's just that I need to know what time it is, but I can't see this damn watch in the dark!"

"Here, let me take a look at it." Amanda told Lee. Seeing his doubtful look she reassured him, "I'm pretty good at seeing in the dark. I think I was a cat in another lifetime." With a grin she grabbed Lee's arm and stared intently at his watch.

Amanda felt Lee's arm stiffen as she held it firmly and could tell he felt uncomfortable by how close she was to him, but she ignored it and continued to look at the small clock. She scrunched up her face in frustration, squinting to see the small hands.

"I've got it!" Suddenly Amanda popped her head up and slammed into the bottom of Lee's chin, which was just above where her head had been. "Oh my gosh, Lee! I'm so sorry!" She cradled his head in her hands and looked at his chin. "I think you'll be fine," she informed him. "You might have a bruise but . . ." She trailed off after noticing for the first time the position she was sitting in and seeing Lee's head cupped in her hands. She sat there for a moment, frozen in place and simply stared into his hazel eyes, unsure of what to do.

Amanda nervously pulled away and began to speak, "I was just saying that I figured out what time it was." Rapidly regaining her composure, she continued, "It's 9:56 so I suggest that if you want to be there to catch your bad guys you should go."

"Damn, I didn't realize it was already that late!" Lee jumped up and began moving quickly in the direction that he had come from. "I really do need to go. I'll see you in a few days, I guess, back at work." Amanda watched in disappointment as Lee reached the bushes that he had emerged from only a short time before. "I'll make sure that we steer clear of you and the boys and your mother," he called reassuringly over his shoulder as he stepped into the bushes.

Amanda stood watching even after he had disappeared into the dark. Then she thought, 'What am I doing? I want to go too!' Checking one last time on her family, she hurried to catch up with Lee.

Amanda stepped on a stick, making a loud cracking noise that caused Lee to turn around. Amanda saw the look of surprise on his face as she jogged to reach him. "What is it? Did I forget something?" he asked her.

"Nope," Amanda told him. "I just wanted to come along. The boys are asleep and they'll be safe with Mother. I'll be worried sick if I don't know what's happening, and besides, my family's lives could be in jeopardy. I need to help," she explained. "So come, on let's go!"

"Amanda, I don't think this is a good idea. Please just go back to your camp!" Lee pleaded.

"Lee, I'm coming with you," she said compellingly.

Amanda grinned in triumph as Lee threw his arms in the air, obviously much too tired and worn out to argue with her. She knew that he understood as well as anyone that when she had her mind set on something there was no changing it.

"Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll do exactly what I tell you to do," she was warned forcefully.

"Lee, I always do what you say," Amanda innocently pointed out, beginning to walk in the direction Lee had been going in until she had stopped him.

Amanda saw him roll his eyes, but she let it go as Lee walked to where she stood waiting impatiently. Together she and Lee walked back to where the other agents were thought to be.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Seven **

Sitting around the remains of the campfire back at the other camp, Lindsay told Thomas and Jones, "Let's not wait for Lee. We need to move in on Draken right away."

"I don't know, that doesn't sound like such a good idea," Thomas said hesitantly. "Lee said we don't do anything until he gives us the orders."

Lindsay, anxious about her mission, hissed, "Thomas, Jones, come on!" She no longer cared whether or not they caught Scarecrow, and she was sure that Draken would be satisfied with having two of the other agents that had aided the great Agent Stetson in catching him.

Lindsay tried drastically to hide her anger, but she could see that the two men had caught a glimpse of it by the looks on their faces. Although Lindsay thought they appeared suspicious, they reluctantly agreed to her plan anyway.

Lindsay holstered her gun, concerned when she saw the other two do the same. The agents having guns would make capturing them all the more difficult. She had been successful in getting rid of Lee's radio so that he had no contact with the outside world, but she had been unable to take away their weapons.

Lindsay grabbed a flashlight and flipped on the switch. She led the group through the dark, turning around quickly when she heard a soft thud. Seeing that Thomas had tripped and was now lying fallen on the ground, Lindsay hissed at him sharply, "Quiet!"

She led them in the direction in which the voices had faded away to. Soon the sounds of the men could be heard and Lindsay pushed them on.

She stopped for a moment and turned to her companions, motioning them to stay where they were. Lindsay continued to move forward slowly until she reached the edge of the clearing where Draken's group had gathered.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

Back behind Lindsay, Jones scrutinized the men, who were from many different countries and were assembled together around a roaring fire that lit up the clearing. He estimated that there were about fifteen of them, which was more than they had been bargaining on. He wondered how some of the men had gotten into the country without being detected. Jones recognized several as being international terrorists, but he focused his attention on the man they had come for.

Wanting to seek shelter so as not to be noticed, Jones motioned Thomas to follow him and led the other man to a clump of bushes where they could hear but not be seen. He crouched down and continued to listen.

Jones observed Draken as he began to speak to the crowd that stood around him. Jones was surveying the clearing so he could figure out a plan of action when he noticed a man dressed in a camouflage outfit moving away from the group and then disappear into the trees. Turning his attention back to Draken, Jones listened intently.

"I'm sure you all know why I've brought you here tonight. I have with me," Draken patted the breast pocket of his jacket, "plans straight from the United States Government regarding their new defense system. These plans are worth a bundle, and they would be very valuable to any country that has a grudge against the good old U.S."

Jones, who had been taking in all that Draken said, heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking behind him. He slowly turned around, seeing Thomas doing the same. He came face to face with the barrel of the gun and took in a sharp breath. The man in the camouflage, who held the weapon, motioned him and Thomas to take out their own guns and throw them on the ground off to one side. Jones and Thomas did as they were instructed, and then moved in the direction the enemy pointed with his firearm.

As Jones reached the edge of the clearing and then walked into it, he saw Draken look up and clap his hands in delight. Jones heard him clear his throat, then say, "However, the selling of the plans will wait for now. Here with us we have agents from the U.S. Government, who captured me just yesterday. I . . ." The man trailed off and a look of anger crossed his face.

Jones, though curious about Draken's sudden change in emotion, suddenly remembered that Lindsay was still free and could save them. Excited, he leaned over to Thomas, eager to share his recent revelation. He stopped short and his face fell when Draken called out for her and she appeared by her own free will to go stand by him.

Jones stood up straight again and listened as Draken harshly asked, "Zerov, where is Scarecrow?"

The woman that Jones had believed to be Lindsay Parker explained to Draken, "I don't know. He said that he was going to scout the area, but he never returned. With any luck a wild animal has already eaten him. I brought the two of them," Lindsay gestured toward Jones and Thomas, "because I assumed having just the two of them would be enough."

Jones watched Draken begin to furiously pace the clearing, maneuvering around men who stood in his way. "I need Scarecrow! While the story may tell us that he needs a brain, of this operation, and many ones past, he was the brains!" Appearing to be growing angrier by the minute, Draken pointed to where Jones stood with Thomas and shouted, "Someone get them tied up now!"

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

"Glad I'm thought so highly of," Lee whispered to Amanda from his hiding spot in the densely packed trees surrounding the area.

After leaving Amanda's campsite Lee had led Amanda back to the clearing where he had earlier left his fellow agents. When he and Amanda arrived, he found that the fire had recently been extinguished and that all three agents had disappeared. Lee had inspected the campsite and found a path through the bushes going west, in the opposite direction of where Amanda's campsite and her family were located. He deducted that the opening had been made when the others moved through the brush as they left, so he and Amanda had followed it to the clearing where he now stood with her.

Lee had arrived soon enough to hear Lindsay conversing with Draken, so he was aware that she was not who she had claimed to be. Having seen his two coworkers tied up and knowing he had no backup, Lee was unsure about what he was going to do next.

His thoughts were interrupted by Amanda asking him quietly, "What are we going to do now?"

"I'm not sure yet. We can't call for help because my radio's missing. To tell you the truth, I have the feeling that Lindsay Zerov over there might have taken it," Lee told her, irritated that he could ever have been interested in Lindsay. "Lucky for us, we have the element of surprise on our side. They have no idea where I am and no one is even aware that you're here."

"I never did like that Lindsay person," Amanda said thoughtfully, at which Lee glared at her, annoyed that he hadn't been able to see as Amanda had through Lindsay's pretty face to what was underneath.

Getting his emotions in check, Lee went into agent mode, crouching down and reaching for the guns that had been thrown off to the side earlier by Jones and Thomas. After checking that they were loaded he held one out to Amanda.

"Lee, what am I supposed to do with this?" Amanda asked him as she starred at the object resting in his outstretched hand. "You know I don't like guns."

"I know, and you shouldn't have to use it. But we'll be able to catch them off guard more easily if they see we have weapons," Lee told her sensibly.

Lee sighed with relief as Amanda reluctantly took the gun from his hand, holding on to it with her thumb and pointer finger.

"The things I have to do for national security."

Lee laughed softly and then put a finger to his lips to quiet her. He slowly moved towards the clearing, like a lion going in for his prey. Lee motioned for Amanda to come with him and then for her to crouch, making her ready to pounce when he gave the word.

"One . . . two . . . three . . . go!" Lee whispered.

Unable to focus on Amanda any longer, Lee jumped up with his gun and hoped that she had done the same. He yelled, "Freeze! Nobody move."

"Spoken like a true professional, Scarecrow. So glad you could join us! We were all wondering where you had gone off to," Draken told Lee.

Lee ignored Draken's attempt to distract him. "Everyone drop your weapons and kick them over there," Lee pointed in the direction off to his left, "or I shoot your friend over here." He moved closer to Draken, positioning his gun so it pointed directly at the man's head. "I want everyone on the ground, and I want to see your hands." Impatient to get them on the ground, he shot his gun off several times up in the air and they all hastily dropped down. Lee checked everyone over for any other weapons and Amanda untied Jones and Thomas, who had been sitting in the middle of the clearing tied together. Lee was thankful when he saw them get up, grab their guns, and train them on the men lying on the dirt.

Lee reached down to his jeans where his radio should have been, and again remembered that he didn't have it. Checking once more that everyone was well guarded, he approached Lindsay. "Give me back my radio," he demanded as he pointed his firearm at her. She reluctantly agreed and slowly reached into her bag and took it out.

Lee grabbed the radio from her extended arm, motioned Lindsay over to the others with his gun, and promptly got in touch with his boss. "Billy, this is Scarecrow. Send in backup. Jones, Thomas, Amanda, and I have Draken and his men in custody. We're about a quarter mile west of our original campsite location."

"Hold on, Lee. I'll get a team together and there as soon as possible." After Lee had patiently waited for a moment, Billy's voice came back over the radio. "They're on their way," Lee was informed. "Lee, you mentioned that Amanda was with you. Would that be Amanda, as in our Amanda King? What the hell's she doing there? I thought she was on vacation with her family. And what about Lindsay? Where is she?"

"It's a long story, Billy. I'll explain after you get here."

"Right," Billy answered.

"Thanks a lot, Billy. Over and out."

Lee put away his radio and then walked over to where Amanda, who had gotten herself out of the way after she had untied Thomas and Jones, stood at the edge of the clearing. She appeared lost in thought, and he startled her out of her reverie when he came up to her, and causing her to jump.

"Oh, Lee, it's you. Well of course it's you, who else would it be?" she said. "So is help on the way?"

"Yes, it is. So, uh, I guess this isn't quite the way you thought you'd be spending your three-day weekend, huh?" Lee asked Amanda.

Amanda looked up at him with a distressed expression on her face and whimpered.

**SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK **

**Part Eight - Tag **

**Monday **

The Monday morning after the adventure in the woods, Amanda stood in the bullpen in the Agency by the closed door to Billy's office. She was waiting to give him the reports that she clutched tightly to her chest.

Amanda glanced around the bullpen, wondering where Lee was. At that moment she saw him walk through the guarded doors. She made eye contact and he came over to her wearing a smile.

"So how did the rest of your vacation go?"

"Not too bad," Amanda told him, pleased that he was interested. "After you walked me back to the campsite I found Mother and the boys still sound asleep. I guess they didn't hear anything because they didn't mention it, although I'm not sure how they could have slept through those gunshots you fired. Although, Mother did mention something about having a dream about a war, but . . ."

She trailed off when she saw Lee's interest waning. "Sorry. Anyway, we decided we had enough camping for one trip and just went home. Jamie was starting to get sick, Mother's back was hurting from sleeping on the ground, and Phillip must have gotten into something poisonous because now he has a rash. Basically it was just a normal old camping trip. Of course, except for the part with you and all the others . . ."

Amanda trailed off again at Lee's impatience. Changing the subject, she asked him, "So what happened to Draken, Lindsay, and everybody else after I left?"

"Well, you know that the backup arrived. When I got there after walking you back to your family everyone was tied up and waiting to go. Thomas and Jones were explaining to Billy and Francine what had happened, and we left soon after that. We took all the bad guys back to D.C. and then threw them in jail, where most of them will hopefully be for a good, long time." Almost as an afterthought Lee added, "And then I went home and was finally able to sleep without interruption for more than three damn hours."

Amanda laughed, happy to see that Lee was back to his typical self. She was still curious about a few things, though. "If Lindsay has been working for Draken for years, and has quite the record of her own, how did she get into the Agency in the first place?"

Lee ran his hand through his hair, "That we're still not quite sure about yet. It's scary, though, to think that anyone here could be helping the enemy, isn't it?"

Amanda nodded in agreement and asked, "So who was Draken's source?"

"When news spread that we had caught Draken in the act and he admitted to the charges, a government employee, who will remain unnamed, stepped up and confessed to helping Draken. He'll be resigning from his office Monday, and will be serving quite a few of his years in a federal prison," Lee informed her.

Amanda returned his smile, glad that everything had worked out in their favor and proud of the help she had been to Lee, whether he would admit it or not. It had definitely been a memorable weekend, although not one that she was eager to repeat anytime soon. Remembering just how close her family had been to 'The Slaughterer' made her shudder, and she was glad it was all over and that no one had been hurt.

Coming back to the present, she saw a look on Lee's face that told Amanda there was something else he wanted to say. However, after a minute he was still silent. Unable to take it anymore she asked him, "What is it, Lee?"

"Oh, nothing . . . Just wondering if you're planning any more of these weekend camping trips."

"Not anytime in the near future. In fact, I think I've had enough camping for the rest of my life!" Amanda said with a grin, and they both began to laugh.

**THE END **


End file.
